A Peculiar Fire.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 455, 17 May 1890, Page 3

A Peculiar Fire.

A LARGE BLOCK ENDANGERED. Had it not been for the prompti'udo of Constable Hansen and the Nightwatchman (Mr Humphries), a very serious fire would have had to be recorded yesterday morning, and though there was very little damage done the circumstances arc so peculiar as to attach to the outbreak a large degree of iuterest. Shortly after 3 in the morning Constable Hansen and Mr Humphries about the same instant became sensitive of a smell of fire, which soon led them to Mr A. J. Cooper’s boot shop, where the wall and ceiling of the work room was abl.zo. Mr Humphries dashed off to ring the bell, while the Constable quickly roused up Mr Somers, and an attempt was immediately made to drown our, the fire with some buckets of water which were soon procured, and other assistance was shortly afterwards available. The fire had started from a lead gaspipe, about two feet above where lit was joined by the brass tube and jet, and there can be no doubt that there was a hole in the lead pipe. Constable Hansen says he found that the door opening from the workshop to the passage outside was unsecured; Mr Heaney says he secured it, and Mr Cooper did not subsequently open it. Theie was a slight leak in the brass pipe, but that could not possibly have been responsible for tbe fire. If the jet had been a'ight it is possible the escape from tbe lead pipe—in regard to which there can be no doubt—caught the flame from it and then melted the pipe and increased in strength as it did so, the flame eventually burgling through the ceiling. The gas could not have possibly caught fire unless there was a light somewhere in the room. As the gas is lighter than air it floats upwards, and the light must have been very near the level of the hole in the pipe to have ignited the gas, If the original light had been far enough away from the lead pipe not to catch the gas as it leaked out and went upwards, the quantity of escaped gas must have increased in volume until it descended again to the light, which would have meant an explosion, and not merely a serpentine flame up the pipe. Mr Cooper bad no insurance on his large stock, and Mr Nasmith had only £4OO on the whole of the building, of which Mr Cooper’s rooms were but a small portion. The following statements have beenoutained by our reporter■ MB HEANY'S STATEMENT.

Mr Daniel Beany, an elderly man employed as bootmaker in the service of Mr Cooper, stated, in reply to a Standard reporter who interviewed him yesterday : I closed the shop about 9.45 on Thursday night, and was particularly careful in putting out the fire, and seeing that the gas was turned off, but I did not turn it off at the meter. I saw that everything was secure before I left. I then went across to the Argyll Hotel, where I left the key of the front door so that it could be got by Mr Cooper, who had gone out to the steamer to see a friend off.

INFOBMATION FROM MB SOMERS. Mr J. Somers, who lodges in Mr MoLernon's jewellery establishment, states: I passed Mr Cooper's shop about 11.30 or shortly afterwards on Thursday night, and d|d not notice any light burning either in the front shop or in the workroom. I would have noticed tbe light had the gas been burning. I was awakened by Constable Hansen, and when I rushed to the shop the flames wore shooting up, and the place was enveloped in smoke. The nightwatchman bad in the meantime run up to ring the fireball. The constable and I set about trying to quench the flames—though at first the task seemed hopeless—and other'asriatance was soon at hand.

A STANDARD BEFOBTEb’s NARRATIVE. A Standard reporter states: About 8 o’clock on Thursday evening, I joined company wi'h Me.-rs Cooper and Casein, the latter of whim was to leave by the steamer for Napier. We strolled about for some time until the launch was about to leave for the steamer. Atrer we heard the steamer whistle we went into the shop for a few minutes, and then accompanied Mr Ossein round to Captain Bennett's, where Mrs Casein and children were in waiting. We all went out in the launch Snark, and Mr Oooper and I returned to the wharf again about 11 o’clock. I accompanied him to the Argyll Hotel, where we went to get the key. We remained there about ten minutes, and then both went over to the shop, which was then in darkness. Mr Cooper unlocked the front door, and struck a match. Hethen lighted the gas jet in the back room, where the fire took place. I also went into the back room, and Mr Cooper had a look round to see that everything was safe. Being satisfied in a few minutes, Mr Cooper then turned off the gas jet, and directly afterwards he went to the meter to turn the gas off there. We both came out at the front door, Mr Cooper locking it, and concealing the key at the back cf the shop. I strolled up with him as far as his house, and then retraced my steps homewards, and immediately went to bed. I h?ard nothing about the Are until I came down this morning (Friday), the ringing of the be’l not having awakened me. mb cooper’s own idea.

A member ot out reporting st-ff alao interviewed Mr Cooper, whose statement bore out the above in every point. Concerning the fire i' self, he said: I heard nothing whatever of it until I came down this morning (Friday), when come friends informed me about the narrow escape my ehop had from fire. I laughed at it at first, thinking it was only an attempt to play off the Tom Collins hoax on me, but I soon found out that they were in earnest. As to the fire itself, I can really tell you no /more than you can see for yourself. I am convinced that the fire could not have lighted of itself. One thing at least I am very pleased at, that is that I have not a penny insurance on the stock or tools, because if I had there are always those in the community who would be inclined to make bad out of it. I am also pleased, of course, that so little damage was done, I feel very thankful to those who were ao prompt in suppressing the fire, which otherwise must have been very disastrous, I leel ao disgusted that at present I have a mind l» path up mp trapi tnd bleat but ot iiu

place, because after the last fire when I was burnt out, I cannot help feeling uneasy. I value the slock and tools at about £2OO. THOSE WHO DISCOVERED THE TIRE. Constable Hansen states; About ten minutes past three on Friday morning I was standing near the Albion Hotel in company with Mr L. Humphries, the nightwatchman, when we both got a strong smell of fire. On going np the road we discovered that a fire had broken out in Mr Cooper's shop, and we entered the building by the side door, which was unlocked. I then went and called Mr Somers, and the nightwatchman went to ring the bell. With the assistance of Messrs Somers and F. T. Morgan we were successful in getting the fire under. Mr Humphries substantiates Constable Hansen’s statement.